Trump's Family Border Fix Likely Doomed in Court, Experts Say
- A 1997 settlement agreement bars detention longer than 20 days
- The president wants an L.A. judge to modify the accord
This article is for subscribers only.
President Donald Trump may have a hard time reversing his policy of separating undocumented children from their parents at the U.S. border because his alternative may get shot down in court.
Implementing the June 20 directive hinges in part on whether U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles agrees to amend a 21-year-old agreement -- known as the Flores settlement -- on the government’s handling of undocumented minors. The deal prohibits authorities from detaining immigrant children for more than 20 days, even with their parents.